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Warning Zone is a unique and interactive learning experience in Leicester - teaching life skills to Year 6 pupils aged 10 & 11 in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

It engages with pupils at a key transition in their life – when they are on the verge of becoming adolescents and young adults.

The aim then is to teach them vital messages when they are younger so that they can make more informed decisions about Risks & Consequences both on and off-line and understand the age of Criminal Responsibility in this country which is 10.

WZ has a series of interactive zones in which over ten thousands Primary School pupils visit each year for a full day trip to learn about areas such as fire safety and the dangers of playing on railway lines and other essential Life Skills.

Fleckney Primary pupils in the e-safety learning area of Warning Zone in 2015

Each room has a staged setting in which primary school youngsters are given practical advice about identifying risks to avoid.

Each incorporates realistic settings, interactive equipment and special effects.

There are no paper and pens, everything being ‘hands-on’ and experiential.

Each scenario lasts for 12 minutes, has five key learning points and concludes with a check on understanding through the Warning Zone Risk Meter.

It's an unusual charity which is unique to Leicestershire - and your own children or kids you know may well be among the thousands who use its facilities through their schools each year.

The zone opened in September 2015 and teaches children about staying safe when using the internet – whether this is playing multi-player games, taking photos, chatting on social media or using apps on a phone or tablet.

Warning Zone

The concept of using an old fashioned fairground theme with no technology is the first of its kind in the UK– teaching this important and relevant subject using interactive, impactful methods.

The zone will take groups of up to 48 pupils at any one time for a half-day learning experience (the other half of the day will be spent going round the remaining 8 zones.)

Students will participate in six different activities during their visit to the fairground, each lead by a volunteer guide.

What subjects are covered?

The e-safety zone covers various issues which may arise as young people learn to use the internet. They include:

Online grooming

Cyber-bullying and trolling

Protecting personal information

Sharing images and digital footprints

Online phishing and scams

Internet terms and what they mean

The importance of having a trusted adult to talk to

Why is e-safety so important?

Children and young people spend a lot of time online – it is a great way for them to have fun, explore, and socialise with friends.

However, they also face risks such as cyber-bulling and seeing inappropriate content.

A survey conducted for the CBBC Newsround programme in 2016 found that 78% of 10-12 year olds in the UK use social media - despite being under the age limit.

Other findings include:

33.8% of students aged 12 - 17 have been victims of cyber bullying. (Cyberbullying Research Center, 2016)

One in five, 8 - 11 year olds , and seven in ten, 12-15 year old have a social media profile. (Ofcom, 2015)

One in four children have experienced something upsetting on a social networking site. (Lilley, Ball, Vernon, 2014)

What next?

Warning Zone is working to raise £250,000 to take its e-safety message on the road to the county's secondary schools.

The Mercury is supporting the project as part of the Safe Online campaign.